SUMMARY ? Core A The goal of Core A is to provide centralized clinical, analytical and cell-based services and materials to facilitate AML and GBM research across all three Projects. The integration of services and materials in a single Core ensures efficient, standardized and cost-effective handling, characterization and distribution of clinical samples, and provides a common focus for coordinating all Program AML and GBM research. Core A also provides disease-specific research support and important services such as flow cytometry, imaging, cell culture and pathology. These services and materials play critical roles in facilitating Program research to test our Program-wide organizing hypothesis: that the mechanisms driving genetic and epigenetic heterogeneity identify, and may serve as targets for, new and highly effective cancer therapies. Core services: The Core A service plan was developed from the prior period service plan and substantially expanded to provide disease-specific support. Core A will provide centralized support for: ? culture, cryopreservation, and characterization of cells, cell lines and tissue from AML and GBM patients. ? newly developed, tumor-specific Experimental Hematology and Experimental Neurosurgery Core lab support services for Program investigators using these materials to pursue Project Aims. ? mutation typing of recurrent AML/GBM mutations, and for genes of high interest to Program investigators, e.g., the replicative DNA polymerase catalytic subunit genes POLD1 and POLE in Project 1. ? centralized support for drug and RNAi profiling, histopathology, IHC and imaging. The 4 Core Services we will provide to facilitate and support Program research by providing the above are: Core Service 1 ? Integrated clinical and laboratory support services for Program AML research. Core Service 2 ? Integrated clinical and laboratory support services for Program GBM research. Core Service 3 ? Mutation typing and genomic characterization of AML and GBM samples. Core Service 4 ? Centralized support for Program drug/RNAi profiling, imaging and histopathology. Summary: Core A has developed and will continue to support a sophisticated array of support services in addition to supplying high quality, well-characterized AML, GBM and GSC material to support Project research.